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Show 202 LIBERTY AND SJ,A VERY. proposes to send Timothy, not so soon as Timothy should request to be sent, but so soon as be sb~uld see bow it would go with himself as a prisoner at Rome. "As a son with the father," 80 Timothy, after his conversion, served with the great apostle, and, not against his own will, but most cheerfully, obeyed his directions. And in precisely the same ineffably endearing relation did Onesimus stand to the apostle. As a receut convert,-as a sincere and humble Christian,-be naturally looked to his great inspired teacher for advice, and was, no doubt, with more than £1ial affection, ready to obey. Hence, we insist that Paul was responsible for the return of Onesimus to his master. lie might have prevented his return, had he so desired; for he tells us so himself, (ver. 13.) But he chose to send him back. And why? :)3ecause Onesimus requested? The apostle says not so. "I would have retained him with me," says he to Philemon, " that in thy stead be might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. BuT WITIIOUT TIIY MIND WOULD I DO NOTIIING." Nay, whatever may have been his own desires, or those of Onesimus, he would do nothing without the mind of Philemon. Such is the reason which the apostle ARGUMENT FROi\I TllE SCUlPTURES. 203 assigns for his own conduct, for his own deter mination not to retain the fugitive slave. " What the apostle wrote to Philemon o this occasion is," says Dr. Macknight, "bighl 1 worthy of notice; namely, that although he Lad great need of an affectionate, honest servant to minister to him in his bonds, such as Onesimus was, who had expressed a great inclination to stay with him; aud although, if Oncsimus had remained with him, he would only have discharged the duty which Philemon himself owed to his spiritual father, yet the apostle would by no means detain Onesimus without Philemon's leave, because it belonged to him to dispose of his own slave in the way he thought proper. Such was the apostle's regard to justice, and to the rights·of mankind!" According to Mr. Barnes, however, the apostle was governed in this transaction, uot by a regard to principle or the rights of mankind, but by a regard for the feelings of the master! Just listen, for one moment, to his marvellous discourse: "It is probable," says he, "that if Onesimus had proposed to return, it would have been easy for Paul to have retained him with him. He might have represented his own want of a friend. lie might have appealed to his |